Policies and Guidelines

Biola's Information Technology team develops policies and guidelines to protect the Biola community and university data. If you have any questions, please contact the IT Helpdesk at 4740 or it.helpdesk@biola.edu.

Computer and Technical Support

The IT Helpdesk facilitates all technical support for Biola-owned computers. Create a ticket or contact the IT Helpdesk for all support questions and hardware repairs.

Do not take a Biola-owned computer to off-campus retail stores or repair shops for support.

Any exceptions to Biola’s computer security policies must be approved in advance by Information Technology.

Computer Use for Employees

Biola-owned computers and tablets are a tool provided for university business and are not intended for personal use. Similarly, do not conduct university business on computers not owned and managed by the university.

You should keep personal data on devices that you own. Do not store personal data on Biola computers or services, such as:

Personal music, photos, or videos

Tax returns or financial records, etc.

The IT Helpdesk will not support any personal data or use not related to university business.

Email for Employees

All Biola employees receive a Google Apps account which includes a Biola email address (@biola.edu) for university-related business and communications.

As an employee, the work you do on your Biola Google Apps account belongs to the university. Employees lose access to their Google Apps account on their last day of employment, even if they are a student or alumnus.

Network Use

IT provides Internet services to the university for personal and business use.

You should use the Internet and Biola’s network services in a professional, lawful, and ethical manner, consistent with Biola’s mission and Standards of Conduct. You should also follow safe computing habits when using the Internet.

Biola employees should use a VPN service when working off campus or traveling. Biola offers Cisco AnyConnect VPN to all employees.

Password Creation

Passwords are most effective when they are both long and memorable. We recommend all employees think of their password as a passphrase.

Passphrases are composed of multiple words. Passphrases are secure, but still easy to remember. Here are some examples:

Wheresmycoffee?

PlatoLovesGreenTea

Myershallbocceteam

Passphrases should not contain personal information or common patterns, including the following:

Birthdays, addresses, or phone numbers

Lines from movies, songs, or books

Avoid common passwords, such as: Password123, Jesus316, Unicorn1

Password Protection

Treat your passwords as confidential information. Do not share your passwords with anyone, including Biola employees, and do not let anyone share their passwords with you.

Security Cameras

The purchase and installation of any security or observational camera must be approved by Campus Safety, Biola Legal, Facilities, and Information Technology.

Shared Computers

Multiple employees may share a single computer, but they must not share login accounts. You must log in to Biola computers with your own NetID.

Consult with IT to help plan out how to set up a shared computer for your workspace.

University Data Storage and Access

Only store university data on systems managed by Biola, or Biola-approved services.

University data is information created, collected, maintained, transmitted, or recorded by or for the university to conduct university business. (Examples: Student records, personnel records, patient records, policies and procedures, and business communications).

Exception: You may use your personal computer or device to access your Biola email account and other university cloud services.

Do not use your mobile device to store university data or access university services without a security lock enabled. Device passcodes, thumbprints, and passwords are all acceptable forms of device security.